Siding-gage



(No Model.) l J. J. MARTIN.

SIDING GAGE. y

No. 494,214. Patented Meu. 28, 1893.

y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES J. MARTIN, OF ROBERTS, SOUTH CAROLINA.

slDlNG-GAGE,

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 494,214, dated March 28,1893. Application led June 13, 1892. Serial No. 436.582. (No model.)

T0 @ZZ whom t may con/cern,.-

Be it known that I, JAMES J. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Roberts, in the county of Anderson and State of South Carolina, have made certain new and useful Improvements in Siding-Gages; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates as above stated to gages for use in spacing the sidingon a house and to this usual function has been added that of a marking-guide whereby the exact place to cut a board to fit in the particular place desired is marked thereon, squarely across said board, the invention consisting of the device hereinafter described and further in the elements thereof; all as set forth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is an elevation of the device as shown in operation holding a board prior to marking and cutting same. Fig. 2 is a detail in front elevation of the device removed from operative position. Fig. 3 isa side elevation of the device as seen looking at the right hand side of Fig.' 2, further showing the elements therein shown. Fig. 4 is a detail showing the devicel for holding the top end of the marking guide in position against the board. Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view of the device midway between the ends thereof. Fig. 6 is a detail of the device which pivots the lower end of the marking gage, and by which itis adjusted.

In the gures,like reference marks are uniformly employed in the designation of corresponding elements of construction in all the views.

This device is to be made right and left hand in construction, one to be used on each end of a board to be attached, but they are alike in all particulars other than some of the parts being reversed in position.

A is the base, which may be of any form or construction so long as it is capable of hold- 'ing the operative parts. On each end of this said base are blocks u having slots a horizontally arranged therein and vertical holes opening into the top and bottom thereof, through the base and through the top of each block a. Loosely sliding in the vertical holes are pins a2 which have on their middle portions blocks 0,3 Fig. 5, fit-.ting within the slots a by reason of which the dropping out and 6o turning around of the pins a areprevented. The said pins are sharpened by flattening or tapering their points by reason of which they will enter the wood when the base is placed thereon and the said pins driven upon; the` driving projecting them below the surface of the wood and thereby securing said base in place. On the upper end of the base is acurved extension b which serves for the engagement of the claws of an ordinary claw hammer in 7o withdrawing the spikes for the removal of the device. Arms b and b2 extend from the base.i A on one side. They should project in a direction that will cause them to extend a short distance horizontally over the corner board and they will be utilized to make a broad base for the device and for a straight edge in marking on the corner boards preparatory to moving the device upwardly to ix the next succeeding board. If they are extended across 8o the frpnt of the base A they will form a strengthening ilange for the brackets b3 and b4, which are secured to the edge of the base A and project forward and back therefrom the forward projections of both being utilized for pivoting and holding the marking gage C, while the forward projection of the lower one also forms a rest for the board to be attached, both while marking same for cutting and while nailing same in place, in which latter 9o case the board passes back of the base and rests on the backward extension of said bracket b4. The backward extensions of both brackets form guides to the proper placing of the base in position on the cornerboard,l resting for that purpose against the edge of said corner board. The slot b5 in the lower bracket (b4) is for the pin which pivots the marking gage O, and the slot h6 in the bracket b3 is for the spring catch or other device which is used Ico to hold the said gage against the board to be retained in position and marked. The pin o is double headed as shown in Fig. 6, that is there is a collar rigidly secured thereto about midway between the ends thereof, the marking gage being loosely pivoted on said pin between said heads, and said heads thereby serving to hold same in position and prevent clamping thereof when the pin is tightened in the slot h5 which is done by screwing the thumb-nut c up on the screw threaded end of the said pin. Thus it is apparent that the lower end of the marking gage may be moved to and from the base so as to bring it close to the surface of a thick or a thin board, according to the thickness being employed for the siding. A hollow, headed and screwthreaded thimble c2 is seated in the slot h6 and is retained in the desired position therein by the thumb nut c3 thereon. A pin c4 slides in the aperture therein and projects beside the gage C when the same is turned up, and so keeps it from falling back and retains the top end of said gage in such a position as to about contact with the board, said slot providing for the movement of the said thimble for purposes of adjustment. If desired this pin may be spring pressed in a direction that will cause it to engage the said gage but it is thought that the engagement may be made by hand with sufficient ease and that its stability will be assured by the frictional contact of the pin' and the gage.

The front of the base A between the arms b3 and b4 is graduatedin inches, by which the desired distance between the lower edges of siding boards is ascertained and the mark made with which the arm b4 registers when the device is moved. f

The operation of this device is as follows- The operation of both gages of a set is the same and hence the operation of the one shown in the drawings, which is the one for the left hand end of the board will be described. The position of the bottom edge of the lower board of a siding is first ascertained and a mark made thereat. The device is then attached by driving the pins into the corner board, the base being set in such afposition that the arm b2 (top side thereof) registers with the said mark, the backward projections of the arms b3 and b4, resting against the inner edge of said corner board. The board to be attached is then placed edge up on the bracket (of each instrument) the marking guide C turned up and adjusted to the thickness of the board by the device and in the manner as fully described heretofore, the catch at the top thereof being also adjusted and holding the top end of the guide close to the board. After making this adjustment,

which however is only made if the thickness of the board differs from that to which the instrument is set or that on which said instrument was last employed, a mark is made on the board along the inner edge of the guide and the said guide is released by withdrawing the pin which engages the top end thereof and allowing it, to fall thereby, and the board is then removed and cut off at` the mark just made after which it will be returned to its place on the brackets of the instruments and affixed by nailing in the usual manner. A mark is then made at the proper one of the graduations at which the lower edge of the next above in the series of boards forming the siding is to come, and the instruments being moved until the top side of the arms b2 thereof register with the said mark the operation is repeated as just described.

With this device it is obvious that no particular skill is required to do a good job of siding, and that the siding when applied will be perfectly parallel and will have a perfect lit against the corner boards, all of which are matters of the utmost importance from the nature of the art.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

f l. The combination of a base piece provided with means for engaging the corner board and for supporting a siding board when placed thereon, an upright on said base having a slot therein, a pin movable in said slot, a marking guide pivot-ed'on said pin, and adapted tobe turned upwardly against a siding board, and a catch adjustable correlatively with said pin and adapted to engage the upper end of the said marking guide, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of a base, means for securing it to the corner board, a bracket whereon the board to be affixed may be seated, a lug thereon and a marking guide mounted on said lug pivotally, a slotted arm 'near the upper end of said base, a sleeve movable in said slot7 and a pin movable longitudinally in said sleeve and adapted to engage the free end of said marking guide, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES J. MARTIN.

Witnesses:

J As. T. PEARsoN, W. R. OSBORNE.

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